Compare the2024 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Outback are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Outback has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Outback’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

Both the Outback and the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Outback is safer than the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon:

	Outback	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	158	190
Neck Injury Risk	26%	30%
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/249 lbs.	387/481 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Outback is safer than the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon:

	Outback	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	132
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	149 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	215
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	326
Hip Force	674 lbs.	836 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Outback 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 65 percent more Subaru dealers than there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Outback’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Outback’s reliability 22 points higher than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 17 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Outback gets better mileage than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon:

			MPG
Outback
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/32 hwy
		XT 2.4 turbo flat-4	22 city/29 hwy
E-Class All-Terrain Wagon
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/28 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Subaru Outback as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Transmission

The Outback has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer a CVT.

Tires and Wheels

The Outback Wilderness/Onyx XT has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s (36.1 feet vs. 39 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a 2.95 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (8.7 vs. 5.75 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 3.75 inches higher than on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (9.5 vs. 5.75 inches).

Chassis

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 900 pounds less than the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

The Outback Wilderness is 3.5 inches shorter than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon, making the Outback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Outback has liquid-filled engine mounts. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Outback 2.5i uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Outback has 2.6 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Outback’s rear seats recline. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s middle row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Outback has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 64 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Outback’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s parking brake has to be released manually.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Outback Base). The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Outback has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon, including $407 less for a water pump, $883 less for a muffler, $14 less for front brake pads, $415 less for a starter, $304 less for fuel injection, $52 less for a fuel pump, $542 less for a timing belt/chain and $740 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Outback, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Outback outsold the Mercedes E-Class/CLS by almost 8 to one during 2022.